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Although Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese) is celebrated in towns throughout Brazil and other Catholic countries, Rio de Janeiro has long been regarded as the Carnival Capital of the World. The Rio Carnaval is not only the biggest Carnival, it as also a benchmark against which every other carnival is compared and one of the most interesting artistic events on the Globe. Foreign visitors to it alone number around 500,000 every year.
Day 1. WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARY. Meet and greet at Rio International Airport by Goway's local representative and transferred to your hotel.
Day 2. THURSDAY 11 FEBRUARY. HALF DAY CORCOVADO TOUR. A cogwheel train will take you up the 710 metres to the statue of Christ. The 20-minute ride gives you just enough time to prepare yourself mentally for what is waiting at the top. In the meantime, enjoy the lush scenery and take in some of that fresh mountain air of the Tijuca Forest. But keep your eyes open: every so often you can catch glimpses of Rio way below. Finally at the top of several flights of steps you are beneath the almost 40-metre tall statue of Christ with the whole of Rio at your feet. The spectacle is truly incredible. The return journey can be combined with a visit to the beaches at Barra da Tijuca. Mirante Dona Martha Cocktail / Helicopter flight This is another place that offers a fantastic view of Rio, located alongside the Corcovado.
1 HOUR SAMBA LESSONS Will be arranged at a function room of your hotel and will take one hour on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. You will have up to 3 dancer couples (6 people) to teach you the "samba" of the samba school you will parade with. B
Day 3. FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY. HALF DAY SUGAR LOAF TOUR Sugar Loaf, in the Urca district, is ten minutes from Copacabana. The cable car trip is in two stages: The first goes to Urca Hill, 220 meters high, and then a short walk to the other side leads you to the second station for the next part of the ride, up to the top of Sugar Loaf itself. The top of Sugar Loaf, 396 meters high, has been landscaped and includes several pathways and a bar. It can be visited in less than two hours. To extend this into a half-day tour, combine visiting Sugar Loaf with a tour of the centre of Rio. In the centre you can see many beautiful historic buildings amongst the bustle of an active business centre.
1 HOUR SAMBA LESSONS At a function room of your hotel. B
Day 4. SATURDAY 13 FEBRUARY. 1 HOUR SAMBA LESSONS - At a function room of your hotel.
BANDA DE IPANEMA FREE STREET CARNIVAL Banda de Ipanema, a Rio de Janeiro cultural heritage, is one of the city's most famous blocos (street carnivals). Attracting over 25,000 spectators and starting around 5:00pm, the Banda de Ipanema is where you will see parades and street bands playing all over. People of all ages, outrageous costumes and raucous behavior are all welcome. But what has made the bloco famous is its openness to gays, and drag queens are a hallmark of Banda de Ipanema. B
Day 5. SUNDAY 14 FEBRUARY. MARCH IN SAMBA SCHOOLS PARADE - The main event of Carnival in Rio is the parade of the top samba schools (escolas de samba) that takes place the Sunday and Monday nights of Carnival. The parade is really a competition among the schools. The event is held at the Passarela do Samba, also known as the Samb dromo, an open air, linear stadium-like concrete construction designed by Oscar Niemeyer on the street named Marques de Sapacua, just outside of downtown.
TICKETS TO SAMBADROME After your parade participation reserved seats will be available in the Sambadrome to enjoy the remainder of the parade of samba schools. B
Day 6. MONDAY 15 FEBRUARY. Day at leisure. B
Day 7. TUESDAY 16 FEBRUARY. Day at leisure for last minute shopping. You will then be picked up for your airport transfer to Rio International Airport for your outbound flight. B
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Start Tour Date: 02/10/2010 End Tour Date: 02/16/2010 Number of Days: 7
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